Rookie Mistake
by winter imaginations
Summary: "DANNY!" Steve screamed as he ran towards his fallen partner. The gunshot came out of nowhere. It was a simple routine rundown. How had he missed the other guy? They were following procedure perfectly; no fuck ups anywhere in sight. As Steve crashed onto his knees to stop the the bleeding wound, he could only wonder how the hell this happened.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! I am back with a new story that would _not_ leave me alone. I have no idea where I'm going with this, so hopefully it will manifest into a somewhat good story. Unfortunately, I do not own these characters or Hawaii Five-0 but O wish I did!

 **PS:** I wrote this around 2 in the morning, sorry for any grammar mistakes!

Enjoy!

"Oh come on Steve!" Danny groaned. "I went in last time to get the pizza and beer, it's your turn now."

"You're out of your mind Danno." Steve said with a laugh. "I think this Hawaiian sun is becoming too much for you Jersey boy."

"Jersey boy? Who do you think you're calling Jersey boy? Have you even been to my beautiful, welcoming, _cold_ , state? Ah, didn't think so. You don't even know what Jersey boy means in my hometown! Back in 5th grade-"

"Okay Danny, as much as I love to hear you rant, I'm very hungry right now. Let's just both go into the store and when we get back to my place, you can continue on, deal?"

Danny was silent for a moment, before he agreed and hopped out of the car. Although it had been blistering hot all day, the night air had cooled off the temperature by at least 20 degrees. It felt good, especially with the long, treacherous week they had. They caught a very unpleasant case about children being forced into sex trades. By some miracle, they found all the kids that were abducted. The team then returned all the children back to their families with no further harm.

As much as Danny wanted to stay with his gorgeous daughter for the weekend - because after a case like this one, he needs his little monkey, - Grace was away for vacation with her mother and Stan. So, Danny was stuck with his partner instead. Speaking of the neanderthal, he was no where to be found.

' _I can't take my eyes off him for thirty seconds and he's already disappeared.'_

Just as Danny was about to call him, the stealthy Navy SEAL returned. Danny opened his mouth, ready to rant about him leaving without notice, he saw that Steve had a look on his face. A face he called, work mode.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked while looking around to see if he sees any danger.

"The kid up at the cashier is trying to steal something, I'll follow him out, you go out the back way and meet around front."

Danny sighed, "Just when I thought we were off the clock."

Steve smirked and patted him on the back before he turned and went towards the kid. Danny watched him go, wondering how the hell Steve knew what the kid was up too, but decided to leave it at military training. Less than two minutes later, Danny had cut the kid off when he saw Steve chasing him down the alley.

"Book'em Danno." Steve said with a laugh, slightly out of breath.

"You breathing hard McGarrett? 'Cause to me, it sounds like you're getting out of shape." Danny said in a teasing tone.

The kid was now handcuffed and slumped against the dumpster when he started laughing.

"Somethin' funny?" Steve said, voice conveying there was no room for jokes and giggles.

"Some cops you are." The kid snarked. "You didn't even search for my partner."

Before Steve and Danny could react, the kid jumped up and ran down the alley.

"What the fuck…" Danny muttered as Steve took off again. It didn't take long for Steve to catch up to the kid and fell to the ground as Steve shoved him hard. Danny stayed where he was because there was no need for him to walk halfway down the alley with a dead end.

"What partner kid?" Steve asked confusion and anger in his voice.

"Me." A voice said behind him.

Steve looked up as Danny turned around when he realized the voice came behind him. The second thing he realized was that there was a gun pointed at him. The third thing he realized was a loud _bang_ go off. The fourth thing he realized was a white, hot, fierce pain in his gut. The last thing he realized was Steve yelling his name as everything went black.

to be continued...

 **Author's Note:** Thank you for writing my story! Sorry, I know it's short, but the next chapter will be MUCH longer, I promise. Also, don't worry, I won't put our boys through too much trauma...or will I? Reviews are appreciated! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Wow! I am so blown away by all the reviews, follows, and favorites I received! Thank you all so so much! I didn't really like the way this chapter went, but I didn't know how else to form it to go the way I wanted it to later on :/ SO with that being said, I'm sorry if it feels a bit rushed, I've rearranged, deleted, typed out this chapter so many different times...Anyways, I hope you guys love it!

Enjoy!

Time seemed to stop, everything in slow motion as Steve saw Danny fall. For a split second, he was in shock. Millions of questions ran through his head, but the number one was,

 _How did this happen?_

Danny laid on the concrete still, deathly still. That's when Steve's Navy SEAL training kicked in. With one swift movement, Steve punched the kid on his cheekbone so hard, there was a snap. If he was honest with himself, he didn't know if the sound was from his knuckles or the kid. He hears himself calling Danny's name, but got no response. Without a second thought, Steve pulled out his gun and shot the other man in the shoulder, twice. Enough to hurt like shit, but not enough to kill. He would deal with them later.

The next thing Steve knew was his knees cracking as he slammed them into the pavement next to his bleeding partner. Danny was pale, the blood coding around them making his skin snow white. With a shaky hand, Steve looked for a pulse. To his horror, there wasn't one.

"Dammit Danny! Don't you dare do this to me!" Steve cried out. He took his jacket off to try and stop the wound from leaking. Steve then realized he hadn't called 911 yet, but to his relief, he heard sirens in the distance. Someone must've heard the gunshots.

"C'mon Danny. Stay with me, you hear! Help is coming.."

The blood was pooling around Steve's knees now. There was too much blood. No one should ever bled like this. The blood had soaked through his jacket now, a wet soppy mess. Suddenly, there were people surrounding them, someone pulling his shoulders back. Steve stared at the scene. He stared at Danny's lifeless body. He thought of Grace- Grace! Oh God, what was he gonna tell Grace? Steve started to run his hands through his hair when he noticed the bright red on them - blood.

 _Danny's blood…on his hands…_

Black spots started clouding his vision and Steve couldn't breathe. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he was hyperventilating, but he wasn't thinking straight. His best friend was inches away from him. _Dead_.

A young man with dark brown hair was in front of him, telling him to do something, but he couldn't make out the words. His eyes were flicking back and forth, not focusing on anything. Danny was dead… how could he be dead!

"-alive! Steve, can you hear me?"

Steve looked around for the familiar voice. He blinked a few times before he realized Chin was in front of him.

"C-Chin?" he questioned.

Chin gave him a small smile before he answered.

"Yeah man, it's me. You ok, thought you were gonna pass out for a sec."

Steve shook his head, trying to clear it when he looked down at his blood stained hands.

"Danny! He's dead Chin! I couldn't save-"

"Hey! Steve listen to me. Danny's alive ok? Barely, but he's hanging in there. The EMT's got here just in time and were able to bring him back alright?"

Steve stared at Chin in disbelief. "But… but how? There wasn't a pulse."

"I know. They think it's because you were able to stop the blood flow, which gave the body a break for a few. That's why he had enough strength to come back. They took him straight to the hospital once he came back Steve, so you did save him boss. Kono is with him now."

Steve only nodded and looked back down. His head hurt, the smell of blood in the air was making him nausea, his hand hurt-

 _Wait. The kid!_

"Chin wait! The guy that shot Danny, and that kid. Where are they?"

"Huh?" Chin asked confused.

Steve stood up so fast, he would've fallen over in Chin didn't grab him by the elbow.

"You ok brah?"

"We need to find those bastards Chin."

"Ok, ok we will. But first you need to get cleaned up."

"No! We don't have that kind of time. I punched the kid in the handcuffs and shot the other in the shoulder twice. They could not have gotten far."

Steve walked closer to the crime scene, but stopped when he saw where Danny's body once was.

 _Fuck…how did he come back after that much blood loss?_

"Steve?"

Snapping out of it, Steve went into explain the rundown. "I'm good. Look, I was standing right here when the other guy came out." Steve said as he walked over. "I punched the kid here, the grabbed my gun and shot the other dude there."

Steve then walked over to where the second guy came out from. Looking around, he saw some blood drops that did not match the crime scene. He followed them around the curb towards the main street, vaguely aware of Chin calling him from behind. Then, as if the blood disappeared into thin air, the trail stopped.

Frustrated, Steve blew out his nose and bit his lip. _Fuck fuck fuck!_

He turned to walk back but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bloody thumb print on a door handle.

 _Gotcha!_

Steve turned around and motioned for Chin to follow him and drew his gun out. Chin reached out to open the door, but it was locked. With a nod from Steve, he kicked the door down and they ran in.

"Five-0! Come out and show me your hands!"

Silence was the only answer they received, so they moved on with a quick search of the house. Steve took the top floor and carefully walked up the steep stairs. He toured the first room on the right and found nothing. He then went across the hall and went into that room. He was about to leave when he heard a small noise. In his ninja way, he made small, quiet movements towards the sound. He realized it came from the closet. As Steve came closer it, it suddenly shot open and he was shoved to the ground.

"Chin!" he called out.

The kid wasn't handcuffed anymore and he came out at him full speed, punching and kicking. Steve was bigger, and way stronger so it didn't take long to stop the kid. Right as he got a hold of him, Chin came through the doorway. He took the kid from Steve's hold and handcuffed him to the dresser.

"You alright?" Chin asked as he helped Steve up.

Without answering, Steve peered into the closest and found the other guy. He was slumped against the wall and appeared to be dead, but he wasn't sure. For the second time that day, Steve was staring at blood. Too much blood. He looked down at his hands and found that they were covered in blood still, but was now crusted and brown.

"Steve." Chin said as he put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't say anything until Steve looked him in the eyes.

"Go. I'll stay here and call this in."

Steve smiled slightly and left the room. He needed to thank Chin properly later, but for now, he only had one goal.

Danny.

to be continued...

 **Author's Note:** Not as big as a cliffhanger as the last chapter, but don't worry! The next chapter will be FULL of McDanno, plot twists, and fluff! Reviews are appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Hey guys... I'm SO sorry for taking so long to upload something new. School has been chaos and I never had the time to sit down and write some more. I Know it's been over a month since I last posted, so I created this chapter to give you guys a little something. This isn't how I wanted to do it, but you guys deserved something! I promise, the next chapter will be a lot longer and way better. Unfortunately, I do not own these characters or Hawaii Five-0 but I wish I did!

 **P.S.** Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows!

Enjoy!

It didn't take long for Steve to arrive at the hospital. He may have broken a few traffic laws to get there, but who was going to stop him? With a shove, Steve opened up the doors to the building, heading towards the first nurse he saw. He had texted Kono before he left, but didn't get a response. The silence from his colleague made the knot in his stomach tighten even more. Just as Steve was about to go to the nurse leaning against the wall, he heard someone call his name.

"Steve!"

"Kono? Why didn't you text me back? Where's Danny, is he ok?"

Kono made a thin line with her lip. She took a deep breath and blew it out, putting her hands on her hip.

"I think it's best if you hear it from the doctor."

Steve stared at her, dumbfounded. With a small nod, he followed her to the private waiting room she had been in. In there, a doctor was sitting on one of the chairs writing something down on his clipboard. He stood up when he heard their footsteps and gave them a grim smile.

"You must be Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett." He said as he reached out his hand to shake. "I'm Doctor Kelms."

With a quick shake and a firm nod, Steve greeted the doctor back.

"What's Danny's condition doc?"

Doctor Kelms sighed.

"Honestly, it doesn't look good. Mr. Williams has lost a lot of blood, so much, we couldn't give it all back at once. He crashed twice on the ride over here, and once more during the short surgery. The bullet caused internal bleeding, and as of now, he has slipped into a coma."

The doctor paused to allow the information to sink in. Kono had stayed back, having already heard this, but still had tears in her eyes. Steve shuddered and slowly brought himself down to the nearest chair. He clasped his hands together and put his elbows on his knees.

"What are his chances of coming out of it." He said, pretending not to hear the crack in his voice. He heard Kono straighten up behind him. She must've not known the answer to this.

Doctor Kelms sat back down as well and looked Steve in the eyes.

"If I'm being straight with you, it would be a miracle if he woke up. And even if he did, my professional opinion, is that the person who would wake up, wouldn't be the same one you knew before."

Steve dropped his head into his chest and blew out a shaky breath.

"Ok." Steve choked out.

Kelms stood slowly and placed a hand on the commanders shoulder.

"I'll give you both some time. Let me know when you're ready to see him."

He walked towards the door, giving Kono a watery small smile, and closed it behind him.

The room was filled with a dreadful silence. The tension was thick, so thick it hurt to breathe. Before either of the teammates could say anything, Kong's phone rang, making both of them jump. She saw it was Chin and cleared her throat.

"Hey." She said.

Steve had turned around to face Kono, but didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. What was there to say? The doctors words were spiraling in his head, over and over again. He must have zoned out because Kono was now sitting next to him. Her face was screwed up in the definition of pain and distraught, her eyes holding so much anguish. Not that his was any better.

"Chin's on his way over." She managed to say.

Steve nodded slightly and turned in a better position to face her. They made eye contact and all the words Steve was going to say left him. It was all said between their expressions. A tear escaped Konos eyes and before she knew it, she was sobbing. Steve quickly grabbed her and rested her head into his chest, holding her tightly. The worst part, was that Steve couldn't say any reassuring words because nothing about this situation was good. Nothing good is going to come out of it. All Steve could do was hold onto to Kono and let her cry into him, while he cried too.

to be continued...

 **Author's Note:** If you made it this far, thank you! This is definitely not my best piece of work, but you guys deserved a chapter. I hope to post this weekend so stay tuned! Reviews are appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Uhhh heyyyy lol. IM SO SORRY! I've been gone for ages, I know. School has been crazy this year, along with sports. I have had zero time to write. It didn't that I had writers block too. BUT I"M BACK! I feel so bad for being gone for so long. I worked hard on this chapter and I know it's not very long but it is super important. I really hope you guys like it. As always, I do not own these characters or Hawaii Five-0 but I wish I did!

Enjoy!

They have been sitting in the private waiting room for about thirty minutes now. Konos sobs had silenced as she had fallen asleep on Steve's shoulder. Chin had walked in no more than ten minutes ago, claiming that traffic was bad, but Steve saw right through him. He pretended not to see his red rimmed eyes and the flushed face as he walked in. Suddenly, the squeaky sound of the door opening brought Steve out of his thoughts.

"Visiting hours are almost over, but we've allowed you guys to stay for however long you want due to the circumstances. It's best if one goes in at a time." Doctor Kelms stated.

Steve mumbled a thank you and looked at Chin.

"I'll go first." He said softly.

Steve gave him a brief nod and then lightly shook Kono awake.

"Hey. We're going to see Danny but only one can go at a time. Chin just went in." Steve said.

Kono looked at Steve as if she wanted to say something but decided against it. She gave him a grim smile then got up saying she had to use the restroom. Steve felt his phone buzz and reached into his pocket to pull it out. It was a text from Grace.

 _"_ _Hi Uncle Steve! Can you tell Danno to answer his phone? I haveeeeee to tell him what happened at school today!"_

 _Oh shit…_ Steve thought. _They don't know yet. No one called them, why hadn't anyone called them?!_

Steve jumped up and ran his fingers through his hair. He knew he had to call Rachel, he had too. He swallowed the lump in his throat and made the call no one ever wants to make.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Steve hung up the phone and wiped a hand down his face. Rachel's crying echoed in his head, her screams as he told her Danny doesn't have good chances. He couldn't sugar coat it, he couldn't give her false hope as much as he wanted too. Steve texted Duke to pick them up, Rachel shouldn't have to drive in the state that she's in. Steve hadn't realized Kono left the room until she opened door, Chin trailing behind her.

"Hey boss. It's your turn." She spoke quietly.

Steve cleared his throat and said, "Ok. Um- Rachel, Gracie, and Charlie are on their way. Can you guys wait for them?"

"Of course." Chin said as Kono nodded.

Steve gave them a small smile and then headed down to Danny's room. After a few turns, he was at the front of the door and slowly made his way in. The sight of his best friend stopped him in his tracks. Danny was hooked up to so many machines, Steve didn't know where to start counting. His face was pale as the sheets he laid in.

He looked like he was dead.

Steve warily made his way to sit down next to Danny. He let out a shaky breath but stopped short as his throat closed up.

"Shit Danny." He whispered. Steve reached for Dannys hand and held it.

"You gotta wake up man. You have too. We need you, your family needs you… I need you. I can't do this job without you Danno. Please wake up."

Steve squeezed Dannys hand as he spoke, but he never felt anything in return. He knew he wouldn't. Before Steve could stop himself, tears escaped his eyes and within a moment, he was crying. He buried his face in the bedsheets and let out all the emotions he had been holding in. He didn't care who saw him like this. He just wanted his best friend to wake up and be alright. He wants Gracie and Charlie to grow up with a father, not without. He wanted to be in Dannys place, God he would trade to be on that bed instead of him.

Steve stayed like that for a while. Eventually, he got up and wiped his eyes. He gave one last look at Danny before he turned around. Suddenly, the machine that showed Dannys heartbeat was going off. Steve whipped around and to his horror saw the line decreasing. Steve quickly screamed for help and as he saw the line going straighter.

 _'_ _No no no no no don't do this Danny come on now. Don't you dare do this'_ he thought.

Doctors and nurses came in, pushing Steve to the side. He saw them put a mask over Dannys face, he heard them shouting clear as they tried to get his heart beating again. He saw the line go flat. The line that showed Danny alive just moments before. He felt the atmosphere in the room change from optimistic to defeat. He saw a doctor look at his watch.

"Time of death 11:34 pm."

Danny Williams has died, and Steve's world just fell apart in front of him.

to be continued...

 **Author's Note:** oh shit what have I done. lololol just wait and see what happens! I'll update this week I PROMISE! Reviews are appreciated, love you guys! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hey! So I was going to post this a few weeks ago but my laptop didn't save it which really pissed me off lol. Anyways, thank you to all who have stayed with me throughout this story! You're the best! I do not own these characters or Hawaii Five-0.**

 **Enjoy!**

It's been three months since Danny's death. Three months since Steve smiled. Three months since Charlie and Grace had a father. Three months since that tragic, horrible day occurred. Five-0 has felt empty and unbalanced with Danny gone. They've went through replacement after replacement, but no one felt right. They all tried their best, they really did, but it never worked out. Deep down, no one wanted it to work out, they just wanted the one person they couldn't have.

Steve had been staring at his paperwork for the last hour when his desk phone rang. With a sigh, he slowly picked up the phone and muttered a hello.

"Commander McGarret? This is Agent Weaver. I have a couple questions to ask you."

Steve suppressed a groan and nodded before he remembered he was on the phone.

"Yes sir. What can I do for you?"

"First of all, is this line secure?"

Steve sat up straighter and narrowed his brow.

"Yes sir."

"Good. I work with Witness Protection Program. Right now I currently have someone that is set to be free soon. Normally, my team and I would take the person in protection back to their home on our own but this is a different circumstance. The person keeps asking for you Commander."

"Me? Can you tell the name of this person?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you over the phone. It's a precaution. By the time you get to our safe house though, the people that put our witness through this trouble will be on the mainland."

"I understand. My team and I will arrive as soon as we can."

"I'm sorry Commander but only you can come. We want to make sure that hardly anyone knows what's going on."

"Yes sir, I will see you soon then Agent Weaver."

Steve hung up after the agent gave off the address. He got up and walked to his truck, the whole time wondering who would be asking for him. Once he sat in front of the steering wheel, he took out his phone and texted Chin he had a meeting that came up. He would tell him the truth later on.

* * *

Two hours later, Steve arrived at the safe house. He walked up to the door and knocked on it. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach so he took a few steps back and put a hand on his gun. The door swung open and an older man with grey hair and piercing hazel eyes appeared.

"Commander McGarrett, I'm Agent Weaver. Good to meet you." He said as he held out his hand.

Steve shook it and replied with a nod. The agent stepped back allowing room for Steve to come inside.

"I gotta say Commander, if you didn't know this guy, I would've whipped him upside the head. Talking is all he seems to do." He said with a low chuckle.

Steve looked at the agent in confusion.

"I still don't-"

Before he could finish, another voice from the kitchen cut Steve off.

"-you kidding me?! They don't know? You never told them, what the hell is wrong with you people!"

"We had to do what was necessary for your safety sir."

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit! All you had to do was tell them that I was alive and that I was safe. That's it! Two fucking words!"

Steve was frozen. That sounded just like… but it couldn't be. He saw him die, he saw his heart line flat. The voice started yelling again and Steve couldn't stand in wonder any longer. He turned the corner and walked into the kitchen. There he was, leaning against the counter with his head down, hands balled into fists, but it was him. It was Danny.

* * *

Danny had never been so angry before in his life. If looks could kill, he was pretty sure every agent in this room would be dead. How could they not tell his family he was ok? His friends? Steve? His chest was hurting from all the rage he had inside him. He needed to cool down before he seriously hurt someone. Danny leaned against the counter and put his head down. His heavy breathing was slowly evening out until he heard his name.

"Danny?"

Danny shot up so fast he's surprised he didn't get whiplash. Steve was there, standing in the door way, face crunched into confusion, shock, and grief. His eyes were bloodshot, dark circles were pilled a mile high under his eyes, and he looked thinner than the last time Danny saw him. And just like that, all the anger Danny was feeling vanished. He didn't say anything, he just walked over to Steve and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. He felt Steve tense under him, before he relax and buried his face into his shoulder.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Danny saw the agents leave the room. Steve held Danny tighter as a sob wrecked his body. Danny quickly saw what was happening and grabbed Steve before he fell. He moved them to the chairs at the dinning table, not caring how awkward he was holding Steve. Minutes passed before Steve pulled away and stared at Danny.

"I'm ok babe." Danny said softly.

Tears welled up in Steve's eyes again but he blinked them away furiously.

"But how? I saw you die Danny. I was _right there._ "

The anger from before came back, but Danny pushed it down.

"Apparently, the doc gave me some type of medicine that slowed my heart rate down really low to make it look like I was… ya know… and uh yeah. They also messed with the machines to help with the whole effect."

Steve looked down and tired to sigh, but a sob broke through.

"But why? Why did you have to fake your death?" He said, his voice cracking.

Danny ran a hand through his hair and blew out his nose.

"I didn't want too, they forced me. They said I would be putting everyone in danger if I went back without the guys caught. Turns out that kid and his friend were gang members. I guess one of my old cases interfered with them and they wanted me dead. For them, at that store, I was in the right place at the right time. Just not..."

"Just not for us..." Steve finished shaking his head.

"Yeah..." Danny said. "And these agents, they wouldn't tell me shit. Just said I needed to be here, to keep everyone else safe until they caught them or whatever."

Suddenly, Steve stood up. He had that Navy SEAL look in his eye and Danny knew Steve was livid. Danny stood up as well and grabbed Steve by the shoulder, forcing him to look in his eyes.

"Hey buddy, calm down ok? We will deal with all this shit later. Let's just go home. I really want to go home. I know you do too." He said, voice laced with relaxation. He needed Steve to relax, or few people will get out of this house unharmed.

Steve stared at Danny a little bit longer than usual. His eyes were searching Danny's face, as if he still wasn't sure he was real. A moment passed before Steve agreed.

"Ok Danny. Let's go home."

Danny gave him a small smile and for the first time in three months, Steve smiled too.

~the end

 **Author's Note: Wow! I can't believe I finished this! I really hope you liked it! Reviews are appreciated! :)**


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